Miles for Mattresses: Stony Brook man will walk 277 miles to purchase beds for Long Islanders in need

Kenny Rogers to walk 277 miles raising money for Open Door ExchangeKenny Rogers, a Stony Brook, New York, resident, is on a mission to ensure that everyone on Long Island has a bed. Beginning on September 25, 2017, Rogers will walk from Silver Spring, Maryland, to Port Jefferson Station, New York, to raise funds to purchase mattresses for families and individuals on Long Island who do not have a comfortable place to sleep.

Rogers, a member of Setauket Presbyterian Church, volunteers with Open Door Exchange, an outreach program of the church. Open Door Exchange is a furniture bank that provides gently-used furniture free of charge to Long Island families in need.

Last year, Rogers walked 50 miles to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This year he is upping his game. On September 25th, he will step off from A Wider Circle, a furniture bank in Silver Spring that inspired the creation of Open Door Exchange. His 277-mile trek will end on Saturday, October 14 at the Open Door Exchange warehouse in Port Jefferson Station. All donations received will go to the Open Door Exchange Mattress Fund.

Setauket Presbyterian Church launched Open Door Exchange in 2015, recognizing that furniture is an essential for people seeking stability and a better future. Furniture allows a family to eat together sitting at a table. It gives children a place to do homework. Furniture provides the opportunity to invite guests into one’s home and is necessary for a good night’s sleep. Many people have furniture to share, and too many families on Long Island are living in homes without the most basic furniture.

Mattresses are the item most requested at Open Door Exchange, which maintains a fund to purchase new mattresses for families without beds, especially when children are sleeping on the floor. Currently, 117 people are on a wait list for mattresses.

Rogers hopes to raise funds to purchase a mattress or box spring for each of the 277 miles he walks—a total goal of $22,021 at a cost of $159 per mattress. Members of the community are invited to join in on the final steps through Setauket to Port Jefferson Station on the Greenway Trail on Saturday, October 14.

For more information or to donate online, visit www.facebook.com/opendoorexchange or www.opendoorexchange.org. Contributions also can be made by check to “Setauket Presbyterian Church,” with a designation for “ODE Miles for Mattresses” in the memo line, and sent to: Open Door Exchange, c/o Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket, NY 11733.